Shy technical draftsman Emil Keller experiences as much persecution from his boss Bollmann as he does from Schimmel, his landlady's brother. Emil happens to be in love with Bollmann's secretary, Anni, but he naturally doesn't have the fortitude to admit that to her. When news gets around that he's the recipient of a large inheritance, he suddenly finds himself being wooed by everyone under the Sun. It doesn't take long for disappointment to set in, however, when the gold-diggers discover that, instead a large sum of money, Keller's going to inherit three circus lions.